Written Answers Thursday 19 March 2009

Scottish Executive

2014 Commonwealth Games

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on ensuring that the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will produce a lasting legacy.

Shona Robison: Together with a wide range of partners from the public, private and third sector, we are building a legacy plan from the 2014 Commonwealth Games - and other major events - which aims to benefit individuals, groups, clubs, communities and organisations across the country.

  We have already published the interim Games Legacy Plan, on 18 December last year. Our next step is to launch the Games Legacy Plan in the summer. With health as the unifying theme, the Plan will set the direction of travel across a range of areas covering health, sport, business, skills and employment, education, culture, volunteering, the environment, and tourism and international profile.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has had with the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) to discuss matters relating to child protection since January 2008.

Adam Ingram: Ms Hyslop regularly meets with Alexis Jay, SWIA CEO, to discuss child protection and other issues. Ms Hyslop most recently met with Alexis Jay for discussions, including on child protection, on 12 February 2009. She also met Alexis Jay and SWIA Inspectors on 11 February 2009 prior to attendance at the SWIA self-evaluation conference.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has had with HM Inspectorate of Education to discuss matters relating to child protection since January 2008.

Adam Ingram: Ms Hyslop regularly meets with Graham Donaldson, HM Senior Chief Inspector, to discuss child protection and other issues. Ms Hyslop’s next meeting with Graham Donaldson is scheduled for 25 March 2009.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Minister for Children and Early Years has had with the Social Work Inspection Agency to discuss matter relating to child protection since January 2008.

Adam Ingram: I regularly meet with Alexis Jay, SWIA CEO, to discuss child protection and other issues.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings the Minister for Children and Early Years has had with HM Inspectorate of Education to discuss matters relating to child protection since January 2008.

Adam Ingram: I regularly meet with Graham Donaldson, HM Senior Chief Inspector, to discuss child protection and other issues.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has met local authorities to discuss child protection since January 2008, broken down by local authority.

Adam Ingram: Ms Hyslop met with local authorities on the following occasions, where child protection was on the agenda:

  

 29 July 2008
 Dumfries and Galloway


 4 August 2008
 West Lothian


 5 August 2008
 Highland


 6 August 2008
 Orkney


 12 August 2008
 Renfrewshire


 12 August 2008
 East Dunbartonshire


 13 August 2008
 South Ayrshire


 19 August 2008
 Perth and Kinross


 21 August 2008
 East Renfrewshire


 26 August 2008
 Highland


 27 August 2008
 Argyll and Bute


 11 December 2008
 East Lothian


 27 January 2009
 Edinburgh


 28 January 2009
 Renfrewshire


 2 March 2009
 West Lothian



  In addition to the above meetings, Ms Hyslop met with various Chief Executives of the 32 local authorities at a meeting with the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) on 30 January 2009 where the topic of child protection and children’s services was discussed.

Child Protection

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Minister for Children and Early Years has met local authorities to discuss child protection since January 2008, broken down by local authority.

Adam Ingram: I have met with local authorities to discuss child protection on the following occasions:

  

 5 February 2008
 Clackmannanshire Council


 17 March 2008
 Visit to Dumfries GIRFEC Domestic Abuse Pathfinder with Dumfries and Galloway Council


 18 March 2008
 All areas at Child Protection Committee Chairs meeting


 27 March 2008
 East Renfrewshire 


 3 June 2008
 Moray


 18 June 2008
 Aberdeen City


 29 July 2008
 Visit to Clydebank GIRFEC project with West Dunbartonshire Council


 12 September 2008
 Stirling


 11 December 2008
 All areas at Child Protection Committee Chairs meeting


 16 December 2008
 Visit to Falkirk Domestic Abuse Pathfinder with Falkirk Council


 12 January 2009
 Aberdeen City


 13 January 2009
 Meeting with Moray Council


 10 March 2009
 Renfrewshire


 10 March 2009
 East Lothian


 13 March 2009
 Attendance at National Domestic Abuse Projects Board Managers

Class Sizes

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18174 by Maureen Watt on 9 December 2009, whether it has had discussions with South Lanarkshire Council on the implementation of the class size reduction policy in every school in accordance with the SNP manifesto commitment on this policy.

Keith Brown: I am in regular contact at official level and ministerial level with all councils on a wide range of education matters including the implementation of the class size reduction policy

Class Sizes

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18174 by Maureen Watt on 9 December 2009, given that the answer indicates that class sizes have been reduced in some schools, whether it considers that, in respect of the South Lanarkshire Council area, it has fulfilled the SNP manifesto commitment to reduce class sizes in primaries 1 to 3 in all primary schools.

Keith Brown: Under the concordat, local government have undertaken to reduce class sizes as quickly as possible and to deliver year-on-year progress towards meeting the class size target. The September 2008 School Census shows that the proportion of primaries 1 to 3 pupils in South Lanarkshire in classes of 18 or less has increased from 9.4% in 2007 to 13.7% in 2008.

Climate Change

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to respond to the outcome of the consultation, Climate Change and the National Forest Estate - Consultation on forestry provisions in the Scottish Climate Change Bill .

Roseanna Cunningham: We announced our response on 13 March 2009.

Concessionary Travel

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place in the last 12 months between representatives of the Scottish Government or Transport Scotland and the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK regarding the reimbursement of concessionary fares and whether it will provide a copy of the minutes of any such meetings.

Stewart Stevenson: There have been a number of meetings between representatives of the Scottish Government and/or Transport Scotland with the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK over the last 12 Months, where the issue of the reimbursement of concessionary fares would have been discussed. Most of these have been in the context of the on-going review of the Scotland Wide Free Bus Travel Scheme for Older and Disabled People. It would be premature to consider releasing any records from these meetings prior to the conclusion of the review report, as this could be seen to be prejudicial to its outcome.

Crime

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many racially motivated crimes (a) were recorded by police, (b) resulted in a police caution and (c) were prosecuted in each of the last three years, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: (a) The information requested is given in Table 1 on page 10 of the Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin Racist Incidents Recorded by the Police in Scotland 2003-04 to 2005-06 which was published in March 2007. Copies of this publication are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 42705).

  An updated version of this statistical bulletin, which will include information for financial years 2004-05 to 2007-08, will be published on 31 March 2009.

  (b) Information on the number of racially motivated crimes which resulted in a police caution is not held centrally. This is a matter for individual police forces.

  (c) The following table shows the number of persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for racially motivated1 offences by police force, for financial years 2004-05 to 2006-07. These are the latest years for which information is available.

  Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts for Racially Motivated1 Offences by Police Force, for Financial Years 2004-05 to 2006-07

  

 Police Force
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 Central 
 112
 100
 111


 Dumfries and Galloway
 23
 31
 21


 Fife 
 64
 52
 83


 Grampian 
 70
 103
 102


 Lothian and Borders 
 223
 246
 296


 Northern 
 46
 51
 55


 Strathclyde 
 705
 660
 691


 Tayside 
 115
 115
 151


 Scotland
 1,358
 1,358
 1,510



  Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

  Note: 1. Includes proceedings where the main crime was neither "racially aggravated harassment" nor "racially aggravated conduct" but where a racial aggravator was recorded.

Early Years

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be available to support the play aspects of the Early Years Framework.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is currently working with Inspiring Scotland on a possible venture philanthropy fund to support play. If research shows that such a fund can improve outcomes, the Scottish Government is prepared to invest £4 million over the first two years.

  The framework takes an outcome-based approach rather than an input based approach and it will be for community planning partners to decide the best measures to improve outcomes for children in their local area and how they should be delivered and funded from within local resources.

Environment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to encourage consumers to reduce their use of water.

Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Water and Scottish Water Business Stream have a range of programmes which aim to encourage consumers to use water efficiently. These include raising awareness to reduce their use of water and building regulations guidance which provides advice on rainwater harvesting systems and the use of waterless closets.

  At present the most cost-effective way of reducing water use is through leakage reduction - which is being vigorously pursued by Scottish Water.

Environment

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance or instruction the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) gives to landfill operators to ensure that construction waste does not contain hazardous substances such as plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances (ODS) from steel-clad buildings.

Roseanna Cunningham: This is an operational issue for SEPA, and I have asked the Chief Executive, Campbell Gemmell, to write to you.

Flooding

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-11032 and S3W-11033 by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008, whether it considers that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) decision to approve the Aviemore resort hotels master plan without a satisfactory flood risk assessment on 4 December 2007 complied with its requirement to adhere to statutory guidance on sustainable development and ensure that its actions enforced high environmental standards and, if so, what the reasons are for the Scottish Government’s position on this matter; which part of the guidance it considers SEPA to have complied with, and in what other instances SEPA or it has supported such an action as sustainable.

Roseanna Cunningham: The decision by SEPA to withdraw its objection to the master plan on 4 December 2007 was an operational matter for SEPA. I understand that SEPA is satisfied that the decision was appropriate in the circumstances of the case, and ensured that the environment and human health were adequately protected. SEPA’s approach was entirely consistent with section 3 of the statutory guidance given to the agency on sustainable development.

Forestry

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is working to help the Borders Forest Trust to ensure the viability of its Woodschool Ltd venture.

Roseanna Cunningham: Forestry Commission Scotland has worked with Borders Forest Trust on various projects over the years but none directly involving Woodschool. The Commission would be happy to discuss this venture with the Trust, and work with other local partners, such as the local Business Gateway service, which can provide free information, advice and support for local businesses.

Health

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding has been allocated to raising public awareness of thrombosis in each year since 1998-99.

Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17402 on 12 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  In addition, we are now in the process of re-issuing the Lifeblood leaflet on thrombosis electronically to all GP practices, asking GPs to make it available to those whom they consider to be at risk.

Health

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of tuberculosis there were in each NHS board area in the most recent year for which figures are available and how these figures compare with those for the preceding four years.

Shona Robison: In Scotland the greatest burden of tuberculosis (TB) is borne by Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board with around half of all reported cases, but in any one year individual NHS boards can have marked variation in numbers of TB cases. These local variations in case numbers over short time periods continue to prove a challenge for TB control programmes for NHS boards in Scotland.

  The data requested for TB cases by NHS board is shown in the following table:

  Tuberculosis Cases by NHS Board

  

 NHS Board
 2007*
 2006*
 2005*
 2004
 2003


 Argyle and Clyde**
 0
 9
 30
 17
 34


 Ayrshire and Arran
 13
 13
 6
 6
 10


 Borders
 4
 7
 1
 3
 6


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6
 4
 5
 6
 1


 Fife
 7
 13
 15
 15
 17


 Forth Valley
 18
 4
 4
 5
 12


 Grampian
 41
 36
 23
 22
 18


 Greater Glasgow**
 0
 37
 161
 174
 168


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde**
 188
 133
 0
 0
 0


 Highland
 8
 9
 11
 8
 7


 Lanarkshire
 27
 51
 25
 35
 29


 Lothian
 73
 55
 75
 84
 53


 Orkney
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Shetland
 0
 0
 1
 0
 2


 Tayside
 22
 11
 7
 16
 11


 Western Isles
 1
 0
 1
 1
 0


 All Scotland
 408
 382
 365
 392
 368



  Source: Health Protection Scotland (HPS)

  Notes:

  *Provisional data is subject to change.

  **Greater Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde NHS Boards merged to become Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board on 1 April 2006.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Care Environment Inspectorate regime to address hospital-acquired infections will be extended to care homes.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate will concentrate their activities on NHS acute hospitals. The Care Commission inspects care homes against the relevant legislation and the National Care Standards. There is a statutory requirement on care home providers to "have appropriate procedures for the control of infection and the management of clinical waste". The commission will expect care homes to demonstrate that they have an appropriate policy on infection control. This may be the Scottish Government’s Infection Control in Adult Care Homes published in 2005. The National Care Standards also require that there are systems in place to control the spread of infection.

Housing

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to respond to the latest quarterly housing statistics showing the lowest number of new build starts since 1980.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government recognises that the economic downturn has had a significant impact on housing supply and is taking a range of actions in response.

  As part of that, we are making a record investment of £644 million for affordable housing next financial year to support the approval of at least 6,500 new and improved properties. In our first year of office more public sector houses were started than at any time since 1997 and we will act to make sure this trend continues.

  We are also pressing the UK Government to take urgent action, including a substantial investment of new money for affordable housing at a level that would deliver at least £500 million for Scotland.

Housing

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to encourage the installation of water meters in all new homes.

Stewart Stevenson: At present, the focus of our policy, and the most cost-effective way of reducing water use, is through leakage reduction – which is being vigorously pursued by Scottish Water.

Housing

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list each area that has been designated as having pressured area status and when its designation will expire.

Alex Neil: There are currently 13 pressured area designations in force across 11 local authority areas. These areas are listed below together with their expiry dates.

  1. East Renfrewshire (Eastwood area) - 7 October 2010.

  2. Highland (all areas excluding Caithness, Sutherland and some estates in Inverness and Fort William) - 15 November 2010.

  3. South Ayrshire (29 letting areas comprising much of Prestwick and Ayr, and rural settlements) - 10 February 2011.

  4. Moray (Elgin, Lossiemouth and Forres rural) - 7 March 2011.

  5. Fife (for St Andrews and East Neuk) - 8 May 2011.

  6. Dumfries and Galloway (69 villages of population less than 400 across the local authority area) - 5 June 2011.

  7. Fife (13 West Fife villages) - 15 January 2012.

  8. Perth and Kinross (21 letting areas across Highland Perthshire and in the rural areas around Perth) - 2 February 2012.

  9. Aberdeen City (35 letting areas across the city) - 5 September 2012.

  10. North Ayrshire (11 letting areas) – 14 May 2013.

  11. Aberdeenshire (88 letting areas) – 6 November 2013.

  12. North Lanarkshire (Cumbernauld and Moodiesburn) - 2 February 2014.

  13. Moray (Forres letting area) – 17 February 2014.

Infant Mortality

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) maternal and (b) neonatal fatalities there have been in each year since 1999, also expressed as a proportion of births in each year.

Shona Robison: The information requested is available on the General Register Office for Scotland website, Vital Events Reference Tables for 2007:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/vital-events/index.html.

  Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Tables for 2008 (published 12 March 2009):

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/preliminary-return/index.html.

  (a) Maternal fatalities. The numbers of women’s deaths for which the cause was pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium are shown in the Vital Events Reference Table 6.1 (1997 to 2007) and in Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Table P4 (figures for 2005 to 2008).

  (b) Neonatal fatalities. The numbers of live births, neonatal deaths (deaths in the first four weeks of life) and the neonatal death rate per 1,000 live births are shown in Vital Events Reference Table 1.2 (figures for 1996 to 2007) and Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Table P2 (figures for 2008).

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20834 by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2009, how many offences were committed by the 248 repeat offenders.

Fergus Ewing: The 248 repeat offenders had a charge proved on 751 separate occasions in the period back to 1 April 1997. These 751 occasions accounted for 1,893 individual offences for which a charge was proved.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20834 by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2009, how many of the 248 repeat offenders committed (a) two crimes, (b) three crimes, (c) four crimes, (d) five to 10 crimes and (e) more than 10 crimes.

Fergus Ewing: The 248 repeat offenders had a charge proved for crimes/offences (in the period back to 1 April 1997) on the following number of occasions:

  (a) 125 people - two occasions;

  (b) 60 people - three occasions;

  (c) 20 people - four occasions;

  (d) 43 people - five to ten occasions, and

  (e) No one had a charge proved for crimes on more than 10 occasions.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of shoplifting have been recorded in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Kenny MacAskill: The following table shows the number of thefts by shoplifting recorded by the police in the last three years for which information is available, broken down by local authority:

  Number of Crimes of Shoplifting, by Financial Year, from 2005-06 to 2007-08, Broken Down by Local Authority Area

  

 Local Authority
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Aberdeen City
 2,282
 2,192
 2,338


 Aberdeenshire
 607
 496
 494


 Angus
 515
 552
 636


 Argyll and Bute
 158
 191
 214


 City of Edinburgh
 3,275
 3,361
 3,553


 City of Glasgow
 5,199
 4,989
 5,564


 Clackmannanshire
 270
 307
 323


 Dumfries and Galloway
 759
 583
 497


 Dundee City
 1,869
 1,918
 2,079


 East Ayrshire
 475
 597
 561


 East Dunbartonshire
 226
 194
 241


 East Lothian
 195
 211
 250


 East Renfrewshire
 158
 219
 163


 Eilean Siar 
 39
 47
 48


 Falkirk
 640
 744
 671


 Fife
 1,978
 2,077
 1,708


 Highland
 926
 870
 903


 Inverclyde
 280
 331
 379


 Midlothian
 415
 404
 236


 Moray
 315
 308
 282


 North Ayrshire
 825
 656
 612


 North Lanarkshire
 1,199
 1,305
 1,406


 Orkney Islands
 21
 18
 18


 Perth and Kinross
 646
 751
 650


 Renfrewshire
 969
 1,017
 1,052


 Scottish Borders
 310
 257
 246


 Shetland Islands
 20
 30
 54


 South Ayrshire
 435
 573
 513


 South Lanarkshire
 1,114
 1,282
 1,337


 Stirling
 440
 544
 467


 West Dunbartonshire
 732
 760
 852


 West Lothian
 955
 966
 839


 Scotland
 28,247
 28,750
 29,186



  Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services.

Languages

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils sat modern languages exams at higher level in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Keith Brown: The number of higher exam entries in modern languages by pupils from publicly funded secondary schools in the last five years in given in the following table.

  Higher Entries in Modern Languages

  

 Year
 Entries


 2004
 6,385


 2005
 6,212


 2006
 5,650


 2007
 6,263


 2008
 6,374



  The languages represented in the table are French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Urdu.

Languages

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to meet the targets set out in A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism .

Keith Brown: The European Union published A New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism in November 2005 and an Education Council Resolution on a European Strategy for Multilingualism in November 2008. Both recognise that multilingualism strengthens the life chances of European citizens by building bridges to other people and opening access to other countries and cultures.

  The Scottish Government is determined to promote a knowledge and understanding about the world and Scotland’s place in it among our young people through Curriculum for Excellence. For example, we are encouraging lifelong learning of modern languages as a central part of the new curriculum, including the new Scottish Language Baccalaureate being introduced later this year. And we are also investing record levels of funding in local government so that education authorities can respond appropriately to their own needs and priorities, including providing for pupils for whom English is an additional language. As Scotland moves forward as an increasingly multilingual society we will continue to take account of the European Union’s efforts to promote multilingualism through the Open Method of Co-ordination.

Languages

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage (a) primary and (b) secondary school children to learn modern languages.

Keith Brown: We are encouraging the learning of modern languages in primary and secondary schools through Curriculum for Excellence, which aims to raise the bar of modern languages learning and teaching in Scotland. Draft experiences and outcomes for modern languages were published for engagement and trialling in schools in October 2008 with the final version due to be published in April 2009.

  In addition, the new Scottish Language Baccalaureate will be an important element within the wider Curriculum for Excellence programme to promote modern languages, particularly in secondary schools. The award aims to encourage more of our young people to continue to study language courses through to the later stages of secondary school. This will raise the status of the final years of Secondary school and assist our young people in making the transition from school to higher and further education and employment. The Scottish Government is working with the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research on engagement with stakeholders regarding the awards, which will commence in the next school year.

  Additionally, we have just completed the launch of eight Confucius Classroom Hubs, involving 13 local authorities across the country, which are promoting the learning of Chinese language and culture.

Languages

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many pupils achieved grades A to C in a modern language at higher level in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Keith Brown: The number of grades A to C gained in higher exams in modern languages by pupils from publicly funded secondary schools in the last five years is given in the following table.

  Higher Grades A to C in Modern Languages

  

 Year
 Grades A-C


 2004
 5,093


 2005
 5,018


 2006
 4,563


 2007
 5,167


 2008
 5,256



  The totals include grades A to C in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Urdu.

Languages

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what importance it places on immersion teaching of modern languages.

Keith Brown: Immersion teaching of modern languages is one amongst many ways of teaching languages. Curriculum for Excellence encourages cross-cutting and interdisciplinary approaches to make learning and teaching more interesting, relevant and engaging. Local authorities and schools can use the various models of immersion and partial immersion teaching of modern languages as part of such approaches, building on areas of current good practice.

Licensing

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-3785 by Kenny MacAskill on 11 September 2007, whether any recommendations of the Adult Entertainment Working Group have been implemented and, if so, which ones.

Kenny MacAskill: Licensing boards have been made aware of the Adult Entertainment Working Group report. It is for them to choose which of the recommendations to apply in light of local circumstances. Such an approach does not limit what the local licensing board may wish to do and allows a tougher regime to be pursued if this is considered appropriate.

  Later this year, the Government will take the opportunity to remind Licensing Boards of the range of possible conditions when we update the statutory guidance under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.

  In line with the Adult Entertainment Working Group recommendation that the Scottish Executive should develop a co-ordinated strategic approach to the issue of gender based exploitation, a cross-government group has been formed to ensure a cohesive approach in addressing gender-based violence both within the government and in our work with the National Group on Violence against Women, local government and other public bodies.

Licensing

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the opening of another lap dancing club in Edinburgh, whether it considers that amendments to the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 are required to ensure tighter regulation of adult entertainment on licensed premises.

Kenny MacAskill: We are presently in the transition from the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 regime to the new regime of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 which comes into force on 1 September 2009. This means any new premises will at present be operating under the 1976 act.

  We do not intend to amend the 2005 act with regards to adult entertainment. It already enables local licensing boards to limit, through their policy statements, the number and location of premises offering adult entertainment after 1 September. It also enables local boards to apply relevant conditions and for anyone to make representations against such a licence application. Once licences are granted, anyone can call for a hearing to review the operation of the licence.

Licensing

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring systems are in place to compare local authorities’ policies on the licensing of lap dancing clubs.

Kenny MacAskill: The licensing of premises providing adult entertainment is a matter for local licensing boards to deal with as they consider local circumstances demand. Boards are required by the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 to establish and maintain a Statement of Licensing Policy, which must be published. The Scottish Government does not seek to compare the statements developed by individual boards.

Livestock

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce the membership and remit of the Bull Hire Scheme review group.

Roseanna Cunningham: We published the remit of the independent review group yesterday. I am delighted that Sarah Allen, who served on the Crofters Commission until the end of February, has agreed to chair the group. The government will announce the full membership of the group in due course.

Physical Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide two hours of PE per week to each child in primary and secondary school education.

Keith Brown: We do not hold this information, but physical education is an integral part of all school inspections. HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) has been gathering data on the two hour target since October 2006 and inspecting physical education in every school it has inspected since session 2008-09. In every inspection, inspectors discuss the school’s provision for physical education and sample some learning and teaching. Over time, HMIE will build up insight into actual progress and therefore be in a position to report on this.

Physical Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities include two hours of PE per week in their single outcome agreements.

Keith Brown: Of the 32 single outcome agreements (SOAs) agreed between Councils and the Scottish Government by 30 June 2008, six mention two hours PE. These are: Western Isles; Edinburgh; North Ayrshire; Angus; Clackmannanshire, and Dundee.

  We are currently in the process of agreeing SOAs for 2009-10 with all 32 Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) but it would not be appropriate at this stage of the process to comment on specific areas of focus within individual agreements for each council. We aim to complete this process by 1 June 2009.

Physical Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the target of two hours of PE per week for each school pupil per week will be achieved.

Keith Brown: We are using the concordat with local government to take forward delivery of Scottish Government policies including the development and delivery of Curriculum for Excellence within which the two hours PE target is embedded.

  I expect the final version of the Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes to be published on 2 April 2009. This will allow time for schools to begin introducing the new curriculum from August this year with full implementation by August 2010.

  Ultimately local authorities are responsible for delivery but there are already examples of local authorities which are making excellent progress. The Scottish Government is working with the Association of Directors of Education Scotland, local authorities and Learning and Teaching Scotland to promote good practice on this and other aspects of the new curriculum.

Physical Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent physical education is measured by HM Inspectorate of Education in (a) nursery, (b) primary and (c) secondary schools.

Keith Brown: Consideration of physical education is an integral part of inspections of all early years establishments, primary and secondary schools. Each inspection of a nursery focuses on children’s experiences in physical development and movement. Inspectors discuss the opportunities provided for physical development and movement and observe and evaluate those that take place during the inspection.

  In each inspection of primary and secondary schools, inspectors sample some learning and teaching and discuss with senior staff the quality of learning experiences in physical education and progress towards the two hour target. This evidence is supported by comments and observations during the inspection. Inspectors use all of this evidence to make a professional judgement on the quality of physical education and on progress towards the target.

Planning

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to question S3W-9066 by Michael Russell on 25 February 2008 and question S3W-19266 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2009, whether the matters of process raised with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) by the Minister for Environment were the same matters that were raised with SEPA by an official from the Rural Directorate on 29 November 2007 and, if not, what matters of process were raised by the Minister for Environment.

Roseanna Cunningham: No Scottish Government official contacted SEPA on 29 November 2007 to discuss the Aviemore planning applications.

Prison Service

Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug finds there have been in each prison since 1 January 2008, broken down by type of drug.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The following table illustrates the number of suspected drug finds recorded since January 2008 to 17 March 2009 broken down per establishment. SPS does not carry out analysis on substances found, and is not always advised of the outcomes of such analysis.

  

 Incident Establishment Name
1 January 2008 to17 March 2009


 Aberdeen
 121


 Addiewell (opened 12 December 2008)
 37


 Barlinnie
 369


 Cornton Vale
 129


 Dumfries
 39


 Edinburgh
 374


 Glenochil
 162


 Greenock
 100


 Inverness
 15


 Kilmarnock
 233


 Open Estate
 83


 Perth
 174


 Peterhead
 2


 Polmont
 159


 Shotts
 125

Prison Service

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are taken to ensure that long-term prisoners are prepared for return to the community on completion of their sentences.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

  All long-term prisoners are managed through an enhanced version of the SPS Integrated Case Management (ICM) process. ICM is a collaborative, multi-agency approach for managing offenders which is focused on addressing needs in prison and managing identified risks.

  Initially, prisoners are assessed during a Core Screen process to identify needs and risks. An action plan is developed to address as many of these as possible during the period in prison. Outstanding needs and management of risk is included in a Community Integration Plan (CIP).

  The enhanced ICM process includes annual case conferences to review progress and a final pre-release case conference. These are attended by prison staff, prison and community based social work and other relevant community based support service providers. The aim of the pre-release case conference is to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place through the CIP to support the offender’s community reintegration and to address any outstanding needs (such as appropriate accommodation, benefits, continuation of treatment) and to ensure effective information sharing with support providers and supervision agencies.

  Paramount is the management of the offender’s level of risk. This may include Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) or information exchange to support statutory supervision requirements.

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21604 by Kenny MacAskill on 10 March 2009, what progress has been made to select and acquire a suitable site for HMP Highland.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service, working in conjunction with Highland Council, has identified possible sites for the proposed HMP Highland and further work is now being carried out to evaluate the suitability of these sites. This work is in progress.

Rail Network

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates the overall cost will be of rebranding the rail fleet and stations.

Stewart Stevenson: Brand implementation will take place during routine maintenance cycles, paid through existing maintenance budgets contained within the ScotRail franchise contract.

  Financial information relating to First ScotRail’s operating costs is commercially confidential and cannot be released.

Rail Network

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions it secured to require First ScotRail to finance the rebranding of the rail fleet and stations as part of the renegotiated rail franchise.

Stewart Stevenson: The terms of the contracted ‘‘Scottish Rail Brand’’ priced option are included in the ScotRail Franchise Amendment Agreement , a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 45544).

Renewable Energy

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 2008 woodfuel demand and usage data published by Forestry Commission Scotland, whether it will consider amending the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme to include reducing waste wood in landfill as a key driver.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme does not support projects which would use treated waste wood as this is subject to tighter regulations and is out with the State Aid rules for the Scheme. However, the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme can support projects using clean wood produced from timber processing activities which has not entered the waste stream. In fact, applications have been received for such projects and these will be considered by the Advisory Panel for the Scottish Biomass Heat Scheme which meets in April.

Rural Affairs

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Scottish Countryside Rangers’ Association.

Roseanna Cunningham: The then Minister for Environment, Michael Russell MSP, met with the Scottish Countryside Rangers’ Association on Monday 10 November 2008.

Schools

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which schools do not have broadband access.

Keith Brown: This information is not held centrally.

Scottish Government Ministers

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons were for the change in responsibilities for junior Scottish ministers following the First Minister’s reshuffle in February 2009.

Bruce Crawford: Changes to the responsibilities of some junior Scottish ministers were made by the First Minister in order to utilise the wealth of talent that exists right across the government’s benches.

Social Welfare

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Richard Wilkinson’s research comparing inequality between societies and which shows that in the most unequal societies the detrimental effects become so great that the health and wellbeing of even the wealthiest are damaged, what value it places on the importance of continuing to tackle inequality as a priority and in a co-ordinated manner.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government sees it as a major priority to address the interlinked problems of poverty and inequality, health inequalities and also children’s start in life which determines their future life chances to such a major extent. That is why we published Achieving Our Potential, Equally Well and the Early Years Framework in late 2008 and why we are now implementing the actions they set out.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh was signed.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh is a fixed-price one.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government has been advised that the contract was signed on 14 May 2008 by TIE on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers or Transport Scotland were consulted or had discussions about the terms of the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh.

Stewart Stevenson: This contract and its terms are entirely a matter for Transport Initiatives Edinburgh on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following the agreement to provide funding for the Edinburgh tram project, what steps were taken by ministers to ensure that all the issues identified in the Audit Scotland report on the project were fully taken account of.

Stewart Stevenson: Parliament agreed, against the wishes of the Scottish Government, on 27 June 2007, that the issues identified in the Audit Scotland report on the Edinburgh tram project had been fully taken account of, and agreed that the Scottish Government should continue to provide financial support for the project. Following this, the City of Edinburgh Council accepted full responsibility for the project.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who were the signatories to the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh and on whose behalf they were acting.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are guarantors for the clients in the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh and, if so, who these guarantors are, and what the nature is of their contractual liability.

Stewart Stevenson: This is not a matter for the Scottish Government as the contract was signed by Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the expected contribution from the Scottish Government for the Edinburgh tram project has been (a) committed and (b) handed over to Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) or the City of Edinburgh Council.

Stewart Stevenson: The amount invoiced to date to Transport Scotland by the City of Edinburgh Council for the tram project is £236 million.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, if the contract between Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) and the consortium awarded the contract for the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh is not a fixed-price one and a funding shortfall exists, who ultimately is responsible for the balance.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government is committed to provide up to £500 million for the Edinburgh tram project. All costs in excess of this are the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Tram Project

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) has the civil engineering capabilities to undertake a project of such national significance as the delivery of a tram system for Edinburgh.

Stewart Stevenson: This is entirely a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council.

Transport Scotland

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the required timeframe is for Transport Scotland to make advance payments in connection with compulsory purchase orders.

Stewart Stevenson: Title to the land included in a compulsory purchase order is taken following the making of a General Vesting Declaration (GVD). Notice of the making of a GVD is served on the landowners specifying the date on which the land will vest in the Scottish ministers. Once the land has vested, the former owners are entitled to claim an advance payment of compensation which, if claimed, is required to be paid no later than three months from the date of the application for such a payment.

Transport Scotland

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-21401 by Stewart Stevenson on 9 March 2009, what temporary changes have been made to the management of Transport Scotland since the appointment of its new chief executive and when the Scottish Government expects any framework changes to be implemented.

Stewart Stevenson: No temporary changes have been made since the appointment of the new chief executive. The chief executive is currently considering future senior management responsibilities in consultation with the Permanent Secretary.

Travellers

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government concerning the need for anti-discrimination protection for the Scottish Gypsy/Traveller community and whether it would support legislation in this area.

Alex Neil: On 26 June 2007 the Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, wrote to the then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, on this issue, seeking to open the debate and suggested that the UK Government takes the opportunity of the Single Equality Bill to establish Scottish Gypsies/Travellers as a minority ethnic group. Scottish ministers have not yet received a response to this letter. During 2008 this issue was discussed with UK Government officials.

  Equalities and discrimination legislation is a reserved matter. However, the Scottish Government recognise Gypsies/Travellers as a distinct ethnic group and have confirmed as much in a number of published documents including the Scottish Government Race Equality Scheme.

Voluntary Organisations

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is an imbalance in the grant allocation for faith-based organisations.

Fergus Ewing: I do not believe that there is an imbalance in the grant allocations to faith-based organisations. Funding provided by the Scottish Government supports specific projects which help us to deliver our priorities and build an inclusive One Scotland based on the values of respect and understanding we consider all forms of religious and racial discrimination completely unacceptable and support those projects most likely to have an impact on the scale of the problem.

Voluntary Organisations

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the organisations representing faith groups that received grants from the Scottish Government equalities budget in each financial year between May 2003 and May 2007, also showing the value of grants received.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government provides funding for specific projects as part of its work with faith communities. The following table lists funding from the Scottish Government’s Equality Unit to organisations delivering such projects from May 2003:

  

 Organisation
 Financial Period


 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08
 2008-11*


 Action of Churches Together in Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
£2,500


 Amina
£9,900
£50,445
£56,293
£115,610
£128,227
£715,228


 Castlemilk Churches Together Refugee Centre
£11,850
 
 
 
 
 


 Catholic Church Hall Hawick Users Group
 
 
 
£1,415
 
 


 Church of St John The Evangelist
 
 
 
£41,800
£5,000
£130,000


 Edinburgh Interfaith Association
 
 
 
£15,000
£57,330
£190,000


 Islamic Society of Britain
 
 
 
 
£15,000
 


 Scottish Council of Jewish Communities
 
 
 
£24,650
£14,750
£100,000


 Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office
 
 
 
 
£10,000
£37,500


 Scottish Inter-Faith Council
£37,677
£120,330
£117,125
£123,645
£143,120
£360,000


 Scottish Islamic Foundation
 
 
 
 
£215,752
£190,000


 Sikh Sanjog
 
 
 
£18,849
£4,500
 


 St Rollox Church
 
 
£30,000
£9,000
 
 



  Note: *These figures cover the current funding agreements which run up to March 2011.

  In addition, we are continuing the drive to tackle sectarianism and are providing £412,500 between July 2008 and March 2011 to Sense over Sectarianism to support the delivery of community projects and are providing £210,000 to YCSA to deliver youth-based faith activities over the same period. We have provided £22,000 to YouthLink Scotland to develop an anti-sectarian resource for youth workers, and will be providing £118,294 to Nil by Mouth to allow them to deliver a project promoting equality and tackling sectarianism in the workplace between April 2009 and March 2011.

Voluntary Organisations

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the organisations representing faith groups that have received Scottish Government grants since May 2007 and the value of the grants received.

Fergus Ewing: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21701 on 19 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Waste Management

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it monitors the performance of local authorities that have moved to fortnightly refuse collections.

Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government has a commitment to monitor the performance of local authorities across Scotland. That is why we have developed single outcome agreements with all 32 local authorities.

  In addition, detailed monitoring of service provision at a local level is the responsibility of each local authority.